List of people from Peoria, Illinois

The following list includes notable people who were born or have lived in Peoria, Illinois.

Peoria has the three largest hospitals in its metropolitan area; many people said to be "from Peoria" in biographies may have actually been born in a Peoria hospital but grown up in Peoria County, Tazewell County, or Woodford County, Illinois. For a similar list organized alphabetically by last name, see the category page People from Peoria, Illinois.

Authors and academics

William Lane Craig, Christian apologist
Philip José Farmer, science fiction and fantasy author
Betty Friedan, feminist author (The Feminine Mystique)
Kendall Gott, author and historian; grew up in Peoria
Kent Hovind, Christian creationist; convicted of 58 federal counts involving money fraud
Kate Klise, children's book author
Dan Simmons, author (Hyperion Cantos series)

Business and engineering

Bruce Borland, golf course designer for Jack Nicklaus; died in a 1999 plane crash with Hall of Famer Payne Stewart
John Coleman, meteorologist and weatherman; founder of The Weather Channel
Susan G. Komen, namesake of Susan G. Komen for the Cure
George D. Sax, entrepreneur; credited with the innovation of drive-through banking

Media and arts

Bill Ballance, radio host
Mark Staff Brandl, artist
Charles Correll, performer (Amos and Andy radio show)
Mariclare Costello, actress
Harry Harrison, radio host ("Morning Mayor of Peoria" on WPEO); disc jockey on several New York City radio stations
Tecumseh "Teck" Holmes III, actor, rapper, former Direct Effect host; The Real World: Hawaii cast member
Tom Irwin, actor; founding member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Jim and Marian Jordan, radio performer (Fibber McGee and Molly)
Tami Lane, makeup artist; Academy Award winner for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Lex Lindstrom, artist, model
Camryn Manheim, actress
James Millhollin, character actor; born in Peoria
Richard Pryor, comedian and actor
David Ogden Stiers, actor (Major Charles Emerson Winchester III on M*A*S*H)
Cynthia Stone, actress
Sander Vanocur, television news journalist
Marty Wombacher, writer, photojournalist, blogger

Music

Dan Fogelberg, musician
Jerry Hadley, opera tenor
Bruce Johnston, member of the Beach Boys; born in Peoria, then adopted and moved to Chicago and Los Angeles
Tim Kelley, "Key To The City" of Peoria recipient, Grammy Award winning record producer, half of the famous production duo Tim & Bob
Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, lead singer for Spanky and Our Gang; replaced Cass Elliott in The Mamas & the Papas
Craig Moore, lead singer and bassist of 1960s garage rock band Gonn; grew up in Peoria
Gary Richrath, guitarist from REO Speedwagon
Bob Robinson, "Key To The City" of Peoria recipient, Grammy Award winning record producer, half of the famous production duo Tim & Bob
Bart Shatto, featured vocalist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Fred Stobaugh, 96-year old widower; wrote a love letter that became the viral video Oh Sweet Lorraine
Greg X. Volz, lead singer of Christian rock band Petra
Richard A. Whiting, composer

Bands

The Forecast, indie rock band
Minsk, metal band
Mudvayne, metal band
Planes Mistaken for Stars, punk and hardcore band

Military

General Wayne A. Downing, US Special Operations Commander and Joint Special Operations Commander; 75th Ranger Regiment^{[citation needed]}
General John M. Shalikashvili, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Frank Wead, US Navy aviator turned screenwriter; early promoter of US Naval aviation

Politics

Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure; Chief of Protocol of the United States; United States Ambassador to Hungary
Mark Clark, Black Panther; killed in an infamous Chicago police raid (12/4/1969)
William L. Eagleton, US diplomat
Colonel Robert G. Ingersoll, controversial orator; Illinois Attorney General
Raja Krishnamoorthi, Democratic candidate for Illinois Comptroller (2010)
Ray LaHood, US congressman representing Illinois's 18th congressional district; Secretary of Transportation under President Obama
Robert H. Michel, longest serving Republican leader of the US House of Representatives
Robert Dale Morgan, US federal judge and mayor of Peoria
Don Saltsman, Illinois state legislator^[1]
Aaron Schock, US congressman representing Illinois's 18th congressional district
LeRoy Smallenberger, lawyer, judge and state chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party from 1960 to 1964

Religion

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, bishop of Rochester and host of The Catholic Hour on radio and Life is Worth Living

Sports

Baseball

Amy Irene Applegren, pitcher and infielder in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League
Charlie Bartson, pitcher for the Chicago Pirates
Harry Bay, outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Bronchos/Naps
Lynn Brenton, pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds
Ben Caffyn, outfielder for the Cleveland Naps
Mike Donlin, outfielder for several Major League Baseball teams
Dan Dugdale, catcher for the Kansas City Cowboys and Washington Senators
Norwood Gibson, pitcher for the Boston Americans
Tom Gilles, pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
Joe Girardi, catcher, manager of the New York Yankees, raised in East Peoria
Chris Mabeus, pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers
Zach Monroe, pitcher for the New York Yankees
Darby O'Brien, outfielder for the New York Metropolitans and Brooklyn Bridegrooms Grooms; born in Peoria
Leo Schrall, baseball head coach at Bradley University
Allyn Stout, pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Giants, and Boston Braves; born in Peoria
Lee Thomas, All-Star first baseman and outfielder for six Major League Baseball teams; born in Peoria
Jim Thome, first baseman for the Baltimore Orioles, born and raised in Peoria
Walter Thornton, outfielder and pitcher for the Chicago Cubs
Bill Tuttle, center fielder for three Major League teams; born and raised in Peoria County, in Cramer, 18 miles west of Peoria
Pete Vonachen, owner of the Peoria Chiefs minor league club; born and raised in Peoria
George Whiteman, outfielder for the Boston Americans, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; World Series champion (1918); born in Peoria

Basketball

Acie Earl, power forward and center drafted to by the Boston Celtics with the 19th overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft
AJ Guyton, point guard drafted to the Chicago Bulls with the 32nd overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft
Shaun Livingston, guard for the Golden State Warriors, and 4th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft
Sergio McClain, former NBA D-League forward for the Asheville Altitude and University of Illinois
Carla McGhee, basketball forward; gold-medalist at 1996 Summer Olympics
Howard Nathan, former NBA point guard for the Atlanta Hawks
Brian Randle, power forward for the Euroleague team Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.
Jamar Smith, guard for the Euroleague team Limoges CSP
Dick Versace, head coach for the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers; NBA executive; head coach for Bradley University basketball in Peoria
Frank Williams, NBA point guard and 25th overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft

Ice Skating

Matt Savoie, Olympic figure skater; bronze medalist (2006)

References

^ 'Illinois Blue Book 1995-1996,' Biographical Sketch of Donald L. Saltsman, pg. 109
^ http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x780398798/Where-Are-They-Now-Earl-Gant

[1] 'Illinois Blue Book 1995-1996,' Biographical Sketch of Donald L. Saltsman, pg. 109

[2] ttp://www.pjstar.com/sports/x780398798/Where-Are-They-Now-Earl-Gant

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